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First signs of seahorses and pipefishes decline in the Mediterranean

23 January 2017

For the first time,14 seahorses, pipefishes, and snipefishes native to the Mediterranean Sea were assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Syngnathids are unique fish species that exhibit male pregnancy and give birth to live young. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ in the Mediterranean, almost 15% of seahorse assessed are listed as Near Threatened, which means that if current trends continue they will be soon threatened with extinction. More than half of these fish species lack enough information to estimate their risk of extinction in the region.Thus, further research is urgently needed to investigate their distribution, population trends, threats and determine if they require any conservation actions.

Seahorses and pipefishes are mainly threatened by habitat loss and degradation caused by coastal development and destructive fishing gears such as trawls and dredges. They are also taken as bycatch in trawl fisheries and sometimes retained and targeted for sale to aquaria, used in traditional medicines, and as curious and religious amulets.

Unfortunately, these regulations are currently not sufficient to address issues such as bycatch and habitat damage due to trawling and dredging. Enforcement and expansion of restrictions on such activities are needed. In addition surveys and citizen science initiatives such as iSeahorse or iNaturalist can contribute to improve our knowledge of these unique fishes.